Fluid storage and protective system



Dec. 20, 1949 c. D. BEAUMONT 2,491,474-

FLUID STORAGE AND PROTECTIVE SYSTEM n C. D. BEAUMONT FLUID STORAGE AND PROTECTIVE SYSTEM 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 25, 1945 Dec. 20, 1949 cQ D. BEAUMONT v 2,491,474

FLUID STORAGE AND PROTECTIVE SYSTEM Filed July 25, 1945 ls sheets-sheet s gmc/who@ GHARLES- D. BEAUMDNTl Patented Dec. 20, 1949 UNITED STATES PAT-ENT OFFICE 2,491,474 'FLUID strengen AND ritorno-'riva 4SYSTEM Charles David BeaumontQnted States Navy l Application July 23, 1945, serial No. 606,692

"(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended lApril 30, 19282370 0. G. 757) 8 Claims.

This invention relates to a fluid storage sys.- tem and more particularly to a methodand means for storing and protecting fluid fuel inv a novel system of fuel storage chambers for use on board ship. i n

The storage of high octane gasoline on board ship for its-complement of aircraft, particularly carriers, is dangerous especially when part of the gasoline is exhausted for the reason that the mixture of gasoline vapor and air which occupies the partially-empty storage space is highly explosive and penetration by `an enemy bomb or torpedo or exposureto undue heatJ from fire adjacent to the storage space will result in explosions and fire. To overcome the occurrence of these vapor filled spaces ithasbeen the practice to displace the gasoline as it is exhausted with an inert fluid such -as agas or water. Salt water has been found to be the `most practical displacing fluid for use on ships because of the ease of obtaining it and of disposing of it. In prior storage systemsone ofthe objectionable features has been thatlif a leak or break occurs in one part of the system substantiallyV all of the gasoline is lost. Another objectionable feature has been inabilityto utilize the maximum `amount of gasoline in thesystem.

It is an object of this inventionto provide `an improved gasoline storage system in which the use of salt waterto displacel the exhausted gasoline will be availed of to afford a maximum safety from fire hazardfrom Within the-ship or from bomb damage from Without the ship; Which Will conserve a maximum offuelin case of rupture in a part of the system' and from Which a maximum quantity of fuel'may be drawn off withoutcontamination with salt water.

A further object of the'invention is the provision of astoragesystemfor any fluid which it is desired to protect from fire, explosion, harmful rays such as ultra-violet and radioactive rays, and the like.

As illustrated herein the fuel storage system comprises a plurality of chambers arrangedin series with an outlet near the top of one of the chambers through `YWhich the fuel is Withdrawn and conducted to its point `of usejan inlet near the bottom of another one of the chambers through which saltwater is admitted to displace the fuel being'vvithdrawn'and means connecting the top of each of the chambers' in the series with thebottom of' its adjacent chamber lwhereby th'e fuel drawn from the one chamber is'replaced by thatowingintc it-from the adjacent' chamber.

Asthefuel is Withdrawn from the successive chambers beginning with the last chamber salt Water flows by gravity into the space formerly occupied by the gasoline. More specifically the chambers are nested so that the inner chambers are'protected by the envelopes formed by the surrounding outer chambers, each chamber being connected by a conduit to the chamber adjacent thereto so that the fluid fuel iiows from the top of the outermost chamber inwardly toward the innermost chamber and islwithdrawn through anoutlet near the top ofthe innermost chamber. In any succeeding chamber theow of fuel is from the top of one chamber to the bottom of the next.` Hence `a rupture of one chamber will not drain the gasoline from the remaining chambers in the system. ylhe innermost chamber from which the fuelis Withdrawn for use is relatively small in comparison to the total volume of the system and the outlet conduit is located so that its suction end is about midway between the top and bottom of this chamber, hence a maximum amount offuel may be Withdrawn from the system without contamination With salt Water.

1 p Broadly stated, the invention contemplates a storage system comprised of a nested series vof interconnectedtanks in which the stored fluid is replaced by and gradually surrounded by a protective fluid, not readily miscible with the stored fluid, as the stored fluid is sequentially Withdrawn from the ends of the tanks to which it will naturally gravitate whenthe protective fluid is fed to the other ends'of the tanks.

The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings'in which:

Fig. 1 is a sideelevation of my improved storage system fore and aft;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line v2 2 of Fig. l;

Fig; 3 is a' fragmentary section on the line 3 3 ofFig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a cross section of a somewhat modified arrangement `as employed in an aircraft carrier taken on the lined- 4 of Fig. 5; and

Fig. 5 is a -planviewtaken on the line 5-5 Yof Figl. 4

'Referring to Figs. 1-3 there is shown schematically an arrangementof chambers which constitute the present gasoline storage system. The chambers are arranged to form a substantially rectangular bulkhead lil which consist essentially of a horizontally disposed chamber l2 arranged to overliea plurality of nested chambers I4 Fig. '2. AThe chambers I4 are disposed in a 3 vertical position and their upper ends are protected by the overlying chamber I2. As illustrated in Fig. 1 the chamber I2 has a horizontal portion i6 which is coextensive in area of the underlying nested chambers i4, Fig. 2, and a vertical depending portion i6 which extends downwardly at one end of the nested tanks (the right hand end as viewed in Fig. l) to the bottom thereof. This depending portion or leg I6 which is comparatively narrow is located substantially at the center of the right end of the nested chambers as seen in Fig. 2 and a space is left between the vertical chambers to accommodate the leg I6 so that its outer surface is flush with the surface of the other end chambers. The leg I6' is provided with an inlet conduit I8 (Fig. 1) which extends from the top thereof to a point near the bottom. A diffuser 28 is attached to the lower end of the conduit I8 so that liquid preferably sea water which flows downwardly through the conduit i8 Will not cause turbulence as it flows out at the lower end of the conduit and hence will not mix the sea water with the gasoline which floats on the surface of the water as the water flows into the bottom of the chamber.

The left hand end of the chamber I6, as seen in Fig. 1, overlies one of the vertical chambers in the nested arrangement of chambers namely, chamber 22 which lies along the left end of the storage system. The chamber I6 is connected to the chamber 22 by a conduit 2B which extends from a point near the top of chamber I6 into the chamber 22 and terminates near the bottom thereof in a diffuser 28. VThe chamber 22 is in turn connected to a chamber 30 underlying the chamber I8 which lies along the rear side of the storage system, as shown in Fig. 2, and the chambers 22 and 38 are connected, as illustrated in Fig. 3, by a conduit 32. The conduit 32 extends from an opening 34 near the top of the chamber 22 to a point near the bottom of the chamber 38 and terminates in a diffuser 36. It will be seen by reference to Fig. 2 that the entire system consists of a series of chambers similar to those described above, connected in a similar fashion and hence they will not be described individually.

Briefly the chamber 36 is connected to chamber 38, and chamber 38 is connected to a chamber 48 in the same fashion that chambers 22 and 38 are connected. At the right end of the system in order that the leg I 6 will not project a space is left between chambers 40 and 42 to accommodate the leg. These two chambers 40 and 42 are interconnected by a by-pass conduit 44 in lieu of the usual connections. The chamber 12, however, is connected to a chamber 46 as heretofore described and likewise the remaining' chambers in the series which include chambers a8, 58, 52, 54, 66, 58, 68, 62, 64, 66, 68,'10 and 12. The chamber l2, which forms the last chamber in the series, as will be seen, is relatively small in vol urne in comparison with the total volume of the storage system and the cross section of this chamber is also comparatively small hence when the fluid fuel is withdrawn from this chamber through anexit pipe 'I4 there is a minimum of surface contact between the gasoline and water and hence the possibility of gasoline contaminated with water is minimized. The exit pipe 'M extends into the chamber 'I2 to a point which is approximately midway between the top and bottom of the chamber and hence the fuel may be drawn oif through this pipe until water occupies the lower half of the chamber. Due to the comparatively small volume of the chamber it Gil 4 is clear that a maximum amount of fuel may be exhausted from the system without danger of contamination with sea water.

In this system it is a practice to displace the fuel which is withdrawn through the conduit 'I4 by sea water admitted through the inlet I8 and hence the chambers are progressively lled with sea water as the fuel is withdrawn therefrom in the order mentioned. This affords protection for the system for as more and more of the fuel is exhausted a thicker and thicker envelope of heat resistant material that is water is formed around the remaining fuel.

The dotted lines m indicate the presence of manhole openings to permit ready access to the various chambers for inspection and Cleaning. The details of these will not be described herein since they do not form an essential part of the invention.

The diagrammatic ilustration of the system as described above illustrates the principle of the invention broadly. However, adaptation of this system as applied to a ship, specifically an air-` craft carrier, is shown in Figs. 4 and 5 in a somef what modified form. As shown in Fig. 4 the modified storage system includes a compartment 16 located transversely of the ship consisting of vertical side and end walls 'I8 and horizontal bottomand topwalls 88 and 82 welded together to form a liquid tight bunker. Within this outer compartment there is disposed in spaced relation longitudinally of the ship a pair of vertical walls 84 which'are connected at their upper edges to horizontal wall 82, at their lower edges to the bottom wall 88, and at their vertical edges to the end walls 18. The spaces 85 formed by this construction may be lled with salt water or with an inert gas and thereby provide a fire resistant wall along the longitudinal sides of the compartment. A wall 86 is also provided which divides the space between walls 84 into equal portions, this wall being welded at its top and bottom edges to the walls 82 and 8U, and at its vertical edges to the end walls 18. Inwardly of the walls 84 and spaced therefrom at opposite sides of the wall 86 are two chambersV 90 formed by side. end and top walls 88. The lower edges of these walls 88 are welded to the bottom wall L80, the vertical edges to the opposite sides of the wall 86 and the top edges to the wall v86; 'The chambers 90 afforded by this construction, that is between the Walls 88, 82, 84 and 8 8, are filled with an inert gas thereby providing a complete heat insulating envelope which provides protection for the gasoline containing chambers now to be described.

Inwardly of the walls 88 and spaced therefrom, that is within the chambers 90 are another pair of chambers formedr by side,V end and top walls 86. These walls are welded at their bottom edges to the wall `8l] and at their side and top edges to the wall 86. The spaces 95 which are formed by the walls, 88, 36, 88 and 96 afford the outermost storage chamber for a fluid fuel such as high octaneV gasoline hence it will be observed that the gasoline in this chamber is protected by an insulating llayer of inert gas and a layer of salt water. A conduit94 is arranged to extend downwardly from above the wall 82 through the wall 82, the wall 88 and downwardly through the chamber 95 to a point near. the bottom where it terminates in a diffuser 91. 'This conduit 94 is connected to somesource of waterA supply such as a tank filled with salt water from which the water may ow by f sravityxv or to a .pump by which water willbe forced, into the chamber 8 5.

vide storage space `for LA .pair i `,cl-1archer-.sr 18`V` are ...formed at Opposite sides of the wall bythe walls 5t whichprm additional gasoline. Within the chambers .28 there` are disposedcylindrical chambers IBS, the lower ends of which rest on and are weldedrto` aqhorizontal structural .niember tot spaced within chamber Si! from the ...bottom wall and the upper ends of which are rrwelded to portions of the horizontal of the `,wall

96, `Conduits til@ extendffrom the chambers 95 through the horizontal portions p of the wallsw96 downwardly through the chambers 98 to a ,point y,near the bottom where they terminate in diffusers L02. Aninlet lill isformed in each cylindrical chamber` il@ to `which there is connected a conduit H2 which extends-from the inlet to a `point `near the bottom of `the chamber where it terroinates ina diffuser ,l i4.. From each of the chambers i075 there extends `a conduit llt the inlet portion of which is located 4about midway between the top and bottom, and the upper portion of which extends through the horizontal portion of :the wall Sl, the `wall Si? .andthe wall 32 to -a point Where `the fluid islto be delivered. It is .to` be observed that in Figs. 4 and 5 the construc- .tion is such that there are duplicate chambers on .opposite 4sidesof wall 86.

`From the preceding description it is evident that when high octane fuel is drawn from the tank H35 through theconduit Ht the new of fuel will be from the chamber 95 through the conduit Idil to the bottom of the chamber Qi! and `from the top of the chamber through the conduit H2 to the bottom of the chamber IBG, and finally from a point substantially midway between the bottom and top of tank lilli through the conduit l it to the point of delivery. As the fuel is withdrawn salt water flows inwardly through the conduit 94 to the bottom of the chamber 95 and progressively displaces the fuel as it is withdrawn from the chambers 95, 98 and lil in that order.

It isevident that this construction affords a maximum of protection since as the high octane fuel is withdrawn the space that was occupied thereby is lled with salt water so that the danger which accompanies a space filled with gas vapors is eliminated. Furthermore the presence of the layers of water and inert gas outside of the gasoline will slow up penetration of the system and will provide a protective insulation against fire or other heat which might ignite the gasoline. It is also evident from the flow that if, for example, the chamber 95 should be punctured the gasoline in chambers S3 and iil would not drain off since the gasoline can be removed from these tanks only from the top thereof.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

What is claimed is:

1. An arrangement of interconnected compartments for use in a liquid fuel storage system in which the liquid fuel is displaced by water as the liquid fuel is withdrawn from the system, said system consisting of a plurality of nested compartments including at least one innermost compartment enveloped by the remainder of the plurality of compartments, an inlet for introducing water to the outermost compartment of the enveloping compartments, an outlet through which fuel may be withdrawn from the innermost compartment, and conduits connecting in series the 75 of cham 4nested compartments so that ther-flow from one compartment to the fnextisfrom the top :of one compartment to `the `:bot-,tom :of v.the next, `said series commencing with the outermost compartment, sequentially including al1 of the enveloping compartments., pand yending `with .said-innermost compartment.

2. An arrangement ofprotective and interconnected chambers for use `in a closed liquid fuel storage system in which the liquid fuel is displaced by water as `the liquid fuel is withdrawn .from the system, said arrangement consisting of a plurality of nestedchambers, including atleast one innermost chamber enveloped by the remainder of said pluralityiof chambers the outer chamber of the enveloping chamber being iso.- lated from the remaining chambers and nlled with an inert gas, an inlet conduit associated with the next chamber of the enveloping chambers through which water may loe introduced to the bottom of said chamber, an outlet associated with the innermost chamber through which fuel may be withdrawn from the near top thereof, and means connecting in series each of the nested chambers with its adjacent chamber comprising a conduit arranged soithat its inlet end is at the top of one chamber and its outlet end is :at the bottom of the adjacent succeeding chamber, said series commencing with the chamber to which water is Erst introduced, sequentially including all of the enveloping chambers, and ending with said innermost chamber.

3. An arrangement ofinterconnected` chambers for use in a closed liquidfuel storage system in ,V which the liquid fuel is displaced by Water as the liquid fuel is withdrawnfrom the system, said arrangement consisting of a plurality of vertim cally disposed nested chambers including at least one innermostchamber Ysurrounded by the remainder of said plurality of chambers, a chamber overlying the upper ends of said nested chambers, means arranged lto deliver water to the bottom of theoverlying chamber,means connecting the top of the overlying chamber, and the top of each of the surrounding chambers from the outermost inwardly with the bottom of its adjacent succeeding chamber, and means near the top of the innermost chamber through which fluid may be withdrawn.

4. An arrangement of interconnected chambers for use in a closed liquid fuel storage system in which the liquid fuel is displaced by water as the liquid fuel is withdrawn from the system, said arrangement consisting of a plurality of vertically disposed nested chambers including at least one innermost chamber surrounded by the remainder of said plurality of chambers, a chamber disposed over the upper ends of the vertical chambers, said chamber having a depending leg terminating at the bottom of the vertical chambers, means for introducing water to the bottom of the depending leg of said overlying chamber, means connecting the top of the overlying chamber the top of each of the succeeding surrounding chambers with the bottom of an adjacent succeeding chamber, and a discharge outlet near the top of the innermost chamber through which liquid may be withdrawn.

5. An arrangement of interconnected chambers for use in a closed liquid fuel storage system in which the liquid fuel is displaced by water as the liquid fuel is withdrawn from the system, said arrangement consisting of a plurality of nested chambers including at least one innermost chamber enveloped by the remainder of said plurality bers, an inlet conduit in the outermost afloran chamber of the enveloping chambers for introducing Water to the bottom thereof, said inlet conduit having a diffuser at the lower end thereof, conduits connecting the top of the outermost chamber and each of the succeeding chambers with the bottom of an adjacent succeeding chamber, each of said conduits having a diffuser at lower end, and a conduit near the top of the innermost chamber through which liquid may be withdrawn.

6. An arrangement of interconnected chambers for use in a closed liquid fuel storage system in which the liquid fuel is displaced by water as the liquid fuel is withdrawn from the system, said arrangement comprising an inner chamber from which the fuel is withdrawn said chamber being of comparatively small cross-sectional area, an intermediate chamber completely enclosing the first named chamber and of much larger crosssection area and an outside chamber enclosing said intermediate chamber, means connecting the top of the outside chamber with the bottom of the intermediate chamber and the top of the intermediate chamber With the bottom f the inner chamber and a conduit for introducing water into the bottom of the outside chamber.

7. A system for storing a fluid and protecting it with a fluid of different specific gravity not readily miscible therewith comprising a plurality of tanks, at least one of said tanks being enveloped at the top and sides by the remainder of the plurality of tanks, a conduit for withdrawing stored fluid from a point intermediate the top and bottom of said enveloped tank, a, conduit for supplying protective fluid to one of said remainder of the plurality of tanks and connected to the end thereof to which the protective fluid naturally gravitates when the plurality of tanks are substantially full of stored fluid, conduits for connecting in series said plurality of tanks by connecting the end of one tank to which the stored fluid naturally gravitates to the end of another tank to which the protective fluid naturally 8 gravitates, said series commencing with the tank to which said protective fluid is first supplied, sequentially including all of said remainder of the plurality of tanks, and ending with said enveloped tank.

8. The method of storing and protecting a fluid fuel not readily miscible with water, wherein said fuel upon withdrawal is displaced by water and wherein said fuel has a specific gravity different from that of water; said method including the following steps: storing said fuel in a plurality of containers; enveloping at least one of said containers at the top and sides by the remainder of said containers; connecting said plurality in series by conduit means connecting that portion of one of said containers to which said fluid naturally gravitates, to that portion of another of said containers to which said Water naturally gravitates, whereby said series starts with that one of said containers to which said Water is initially supplied, sequentially includes all of said remainder and terminates with said enveloped container; supplying said water to said series at that portion of said starting container to which said water naturally gravitates when said plurality of containers is substantially lled with said fuel; and withdrawing said stored fluid from a point intermediate the top and bottom of said enveloped container.

CHARLES DAVID BEAUMONT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the ille of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,219,115 Laurenti Mar. 13, 1917 1,710,006 Peter Apr. 23, 1929 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 524,826 France May 21, 1921 

